This invention relates to the field of mixing. In particular, the invention relates to attachment of laboratory flasks, reaction vessels and other containers to mixing devices.
Laboratory flasks are vessels (containers) which fall into the category of laboratory equipment known as glassware. In laboratory and other scientific settings, they are usually referred to simply as flasks. Flasks come in a number of shapes and a wide range of sizes, but a common distinguishing aspect in their shapes is a wider vessel “body” and one (or sometimes more) narrower tubular sections at the top called necks which have an opening at the top. Laboratory flask sizes are specified by the volume they can hold, typically in metric units such as milliliters (mL) or liters (L). Laboratory flasks have traditionally been made of glass, but can also be made of plastic and other materials.
At the opening(s) at top of the neck of some glass flasks such as round-bottom flasks, retorts, or sometimes volumetric flasks, there are outer (or female) tapered (conical) ground glass joints. Some flasks, especially volumetric flasks, come with a stopper or cap for capping the opening at the top of the neck. Such stoppers can be made of glass or plastic. Glass stoppers typically have a matching tapered inner (or male) ground glass joint surface, but often only of stopper quality. Flasks which do not come with such stoppers or caps included may be capped with a rubber bung or cork stopper. Flasks can be used for making solutions or for holding, containing, collecting, or sometimes volumetrically measuring chemicals, samples, solutions, etc. for chemical reactions or other processes such as mixing, heating, cooling, dissolving, precipitation, boiling (as in distillation), or analysis.
An Erlenmeyer flask, commonly known as a conical or E-Spot, is a widely used type of laboratory flask which features a flat, conical body, and a cylindrical neck. It is named after the German chemist Emil Erlenmeyer, who created it in 1861. The Erlenmeyer flask is usually marked on the side (graduated) to indicate the approximate volume of contents, and has a spot of ground glass or enamel where it can be labeled with a pencil. It differs from the beaker in its tapered body and narrow neck. The opening usually has slight rounded lips so that the Erlenmeyer can be easily stoppered using a piece of cotton wool or a rubber stopper. Alternatively, the neck may be fitted with a female ground glass joint to accept a glass stopper. The conical shape allows the contents to be swirled or stirred during an experiment, either by hand or by a shaker table or mixer; the narrow neck keeps the contents from spilling out. The smaller neck also slows evaporative loss better than a bigger neck. The flat bottom of the conical makes it unlikely to tip over and spill.
Mixing in chemistry, biology and biotechnology and other fields require motion during mixing processes. Examples of these processes include aerobic or anaerobic fermentation, cell culture and chemical reactions. For many years, containers such as flasks and test tubes have been used with and secured to these devices. Background art container holders are either incapable of retaining flasks during aggressive agitation or are not designed to hold flasks at all (as is the case in multi-well, small volume holders).
Classically, flasks or other containers have been attached to mixing devices using holders that comprise either resilient members such as elastic bands or springs which act to allow the holder to expand or contract to mate to the container. Other holders have comprised fasteners, such as screws, which require tightening to a specific location or torque. Both of these techniques lack the ability to adequately secure the container during the more aggressive motions of more modern mixing devices, especially those with a vertical mixing component. In these more aggressive devices, the container is not held security by its holder and cessation of the mixing process to repair the problem is required or the container is freed from its holder and may be damaged. Both of these instances are detrimental to the goals of the end user.
Some types of flask holders accommodate the use of non-invasive sensors in agitated flasks, but none of these devices have the advantages of the invention described herein. Coasters have been described which incorporate mechanical, optical or electronic components in a flat disc that is placed underneath the flask retention clamp. These coasters have the significant disadvantages of requiring the purchase of a second component, incompatibility with aggressive vertical shaking motions, and more difficulty in use because of the need to align the coaster and the flask holder properly. In addition, sensor platforms designed to seat on top of orbital agitation devices have been developed. Examples of these systems include the Shake Flask Reader from PreSens Precision Sensing of Regensburg, Germany and the Sensolux® Shaker Tray from Sartorius Stedim Biotech of Aubagne, France. These devices add substantial extra weight to the agitating platforms and they do not accommodate the use of aggressive vertical shaking modes.
The background art is characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 636,265; 856,619; 3,169,742; 4,133,466; 4,623,112; 4,971,276; 5,154,380; 5,533,700; 5,560,578; 6,508,582; 6,673,532; 6,684,922; 7,041,493; 7,182,505; 7,188,993 and Des. 414,273; and by U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2002/0044495 and 2004/0151064; the disclosures of which patents and patent applications are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.